Get Off The Couch

GET OFF THE COUCH

Luke 5:22-25

Sunday Morning, April 3, 2005

Luke 5:22-25

22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?

23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?

24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.

25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

If we are to believe what the Bible says about us, we recognize certain irrefutable facts about ourselves pretty early on; like the idea that ALL HAVE SINNED and fall short of the glory of God; or like the thought that all our righteousness is like filthy rags. Pretty soon, we understand that we’re all in various stages of healing… various stages of deliverance.

We’re all coming out of something, and we find ourselves understand a lot more closely our passage today. We’re all on the couch at times. All laid up and “under something” at times. But today, we’re going to look at getting off the couch.

I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

There comes that point when every one of us winds up in front of Jesus. Eternity isn’t the only thing that takes us there. Sickness will take us there. Sin will carry us there. Failure, doubt and fear can propel us into His presence. And when you find yourself in His presence, something’s got to go.

Either your pride will go or your person will go. Either your sickness will go or your faith will go. Either your sin will go or your standing will go. But either way, something will go. And something will change. Sicknesses get transformed into strengths. Doubts get transformed into duty. And sin gets transformed into service.

That’s what happened to the lame man in Luke chapter 5. Friends drop him through the ceiling into the presence of Jesus. Thank God that someone still cares. Others are trying to take me to hell with them, but thank God for a Christian friend… a Christian spouse… a Christian parent… a Christian child. Thank God that someone is trying to bring someone to Jesus.

They bring their friend to Jesus, and his infirmity is sent away.

I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

In that moment of encounter with Jesus something changed. But the change came in two parts; Jesus’ part, and the crippled man’s part; God’s part, and the man with the palsy’s part. There was the spiritual aspect of what happened… the touch of heaven. And the healing was secured. But there came that point when something was required of the one sick of the palsy.

ARISE, and TAKE UP THY COUCH…

There comes that point in any infirmity; in any sickness; in any sin; in any doubt. There comes that moment in any addiction; and fear; any disbelief. There comes that turning point where it ceases to be God’s job, and it starts being OUR JOB. He’ll send the word and heal us; but we’ve got to get up. He’ll do the spiritual part, but we’ve got to do the work. He’ll take the first step, but we’ve got to be willing to GET OFF THE COUCH.

Too many people want God to do all the work. We want God to straighten us out, and yet we don’t want to obey the command. We’re ready for God to fix us, but we want to stay on the couch; stay on the palette. “You can fix me, but don’t expect me to move.” But friend, there’s only one way to prove that you’re really fixed; there’s only one way to verify that God has done a miracle in your life; that’s by personifying the DIAMETRIC OPPOSITE OF THE VERY THING YOU’VE STRUGGLED WITH.

“What do you mean preacher?”

If a lame man is going to prove that he’s been healed, HE’S GOTTA WALK! If a blind man is going to prove his sight is restored, HE’S GOTTA OPEN HIS EYES AND SEE! If a deaf man is going to prove his hearing has been restored, HE’S GOTTA OPEN HIS EARS AND HEAR. If you’re going to prove that you’re out of your bondage, sorrow and night, you have to DEMONSTRATE IT by being FREE, JOYFUL and WALK IN THE LIGHT.